Wake Up, Angel
by xstorymaker
Summary: "At least," she managed to say, "at least I got to see you one last time," she whispered shakily, as a tear fell from her eye and slipped down her face...
1. One Last Time

**Wake Up, Angel**

**Chapter 1: One Last Time**

Draco stared out of the window. The skies were dark and the ground was blanketed with fog. Rain fell against the window panes, creating a reverberation that sounded like a soft drum-roll. The clouds were grey and matched the silvery eyes that stared up at them.

He wondered – as he often did – when his life had changed so drastically. Seven short years ago – just after the War – he was being bombarded by the Ministry and it seemed like everybody was against him.

Everybody…except one person.

"Draco?" she called.

"In here," he replied and watched his wife walk into the living room where he was stood. Astoria Malfoy was tall, slim and extremely beautiful. Her blue eyes were wide and he could detect a feeling of worry in them. Her wavy brown her cascaded past her shoulders, cloaking her pale face.

_Perfect_, he thought.

"I've got something to tell you…" she said. She let out a deep breath and took his hands.

"What is it?" he asked. She remained silent. "Tell me."

"I want to, but…"

"But what?" he said gently.

"I'm scared of what you might say," she sighed.

His eyes flashed. "Tell me. Please," he whispered.

"I'm…I'm pregnant," she said, so fast he could barely hear what she'd said.

For a moment he couldn't say anything. He was too shocked.

He gave a shaky laugh. "This…this is a joke, isn't it? You're…you're just kidding, right?"

She shook her head slowly. "No."

He swallowed nervously. He'd never felt so scared in his life.

"You're disappointed, aren't you?"

"No, honestly…it is a boy right?" I asked warily.

She smiled softly. "Not sure yet."

"Well, you have nothing to worry about because I will love _him_ when _he_ turns out to be a _boy_. I just…don't want him to be like I was when I was younger." Draco muttered.

"Draco, I…" she began, "I don't want you to be disappointed if it's a girl."

"How could I ever be disappointed? Especially if it's as beautiful as you, Angel," he said softly, tucking a tendril of her hair behind her ear.

"Do you have to call me that?"

He nodded. "Perfect nickname for a perfect person."

_**Nine Months Later**_

Her eyes were closed and her skin was extremely pale. She was laid down on the hospital bed, her body weak and fragile. In the cot opposite her, there was a beautiful baby boy with stormy grey eyes and a head of ice-blonde hair, sleeping soundly.

Draco looked at her from outside the hospital room and then looked back at the Healer. She was a short, squat woman with frizzy black hair and warm brown eyes. "Mr Malfoy, we're extremely sorry to tell you this…but she doesn't have long left."

Draco felt like the Healer had just ripped his heart out with her own bare hands. He felt his eyes prick and a silent tear fell from his eye.

"Can I…can I see her?"

The Healer nodded and Draco pulled open the door. His eyes never left his wife as he sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed. He slipped his hand through hers. Her skin was cold.

Her eyes suddenly opened. They were usually extremely bright and sparkly, but they had lost their radiance.

"Draco…" she whispered, so quietly it was barely audible. Her breaths were short, quick.

He took a deep breath. "I'm here, Angel, it's…it's alright now, you'll be OK, I promise."

Her breaths started to get faster and more rapid. No, this couldn't be happening now, it just couldn't…he wasn't ready to let go yet.

"At least," she managed to say, "at least I got to see you one last time," she whispered shakily, as a tear fell from her eye and slipped down her face.

"No," he said firmly, "don't you dare talk like that."

He looked out of the window. Large snowflakes fluttered down from the pitch-black sky and settled upon the ground.

"You'll be fine, I promise. I'm here now, everything's all right." He whispered.

Her eyes closed again. She took one last breath and Draco felt her skin turn ice-cold. Her hand drooped and…and she didn't move again.

She was gone.

"No…no, no, no, no this can't be happening." He started to cry again; loud, heart-wrenching sobs that tore through the silence of the room. "Please don't leave me."

He carried on talking like this for what seemed like forever. It felt as if a large piece of him died with her. He didn't let go of her hand the whole time he was there, nor did the tears stop streaming down from his eyes. "Wake up, Angel," he kept saying, over and over again. He knew it was no use – yet he couldn't stop, he just couldn't let go. Not yet.

Not ever.

A few hours later, after it seemed there were no more tears to cry, he was still sat there, his hand in hers. Draco felt as if he had nothing else to live for, almost wishing he could have died with her, when he heard a little whimper coming from across the room.

He looked at the baby in the cot who had just woken up. His son.

Draco approached him, not sure what to do. Their eyes locked and the baby suddenly stopped crying. Draco picked him up, remembering to support his head, held him in his arms and rocked him gently until he fell asleep again, leaning against his father.

After a few hours of thinking his life had become meaningless, he finally had a purpose.

He had something worth living for.

* * *

**_So I realized that my other story (The Draco Malfoy Diaries - check it out .net/s/6668370/1/The_Draco_Malfoy_Diares ) was appealing to every kind of audience, as it's basically Humour/Romance kind of thing._**

**_Anyway, please review! I've never really written a Tragedy/Hurt/Comfort fic so don't be too harsh!_**

**_Hope you liked it!_**


	2. Checkmate

_**So this chapter is for KittyRin for being the first reviewer for this story. YOU GO GIRL! Haha, thank you :) It may be a little depressing but I promise the next chapter will lighten things up :D**_

**Wake Up, Angel**

**Chapter Two: Checkmate**

Draco was still rocking the sleeping baby when he heard a woman's voice. It was soft and smooth. He whirled around, barely able to see. His vision had become blurry and indistinct after almost crying his eyes out.

No, he was being stupid. It was impossible. She was dead.

Gone.

There was a knock at the door. Draco looked up to see Ron and Hermione entering the room. Since the war, the slates had been wiped clean and they'd become good friends. Hermione looked at him expectantly. He shook his head and the tears started again. Ron put his arm around Draco's shoulder in a brotherly way while Hermione took the baby out of his arms. "I'm so sorry, Draco," she whispered, with tears in her eyes. Hermione glanced at Ron. '_We_ _should get him out of here_,' she mouthed. He nodded in agreement.

Ron gently but firmly led him out of the room and sat on the benches outside. The blaring white lights stung their eyes as they left. "Draco, if there's anything we can do for you…" Hermione began.

He remained silent, shaking his head. The tears had slowed down but they were still coming. "There's nothing." He muttered.

"Why don't you stay with us for a while?" Ron suggested.

The baby in Hermione's arms gave a small whimper as he woke up. Draco stood up and took him from Hermione. "What are you going to name him?" she asked softly.

Draco thought before responding. "She…she wanted to call him Scorpius." he sniffed as he moved the child's white-blonde hair from his eyes.

* * *

"Is this alright? You know if you need anything, just ask," Hermione said as she showed him the guest bedroom. He nodded. "I really am sorry."

But _sorry_ can't bring her back.

"It's fine."

He flopped down onto the bed and a sudden tiredness overcame him, sucking him into a deep sleep.

But even when his eyes were closed, he couldn't escape from the pain…

"_You're alone, Draco…no-one cares about you." A voice in the dream said…_

"_Ron and Hermione don't care about you, they just feel sorry for you._

_Scorpius…he doesn't even know who you are._

_Your parents…where are they now?_

_Astoria…she never cared about you. You were stupid enough to believe that she loved you…'Angel…' Where's your angel now, Draco? Your angel isn't here any more…where is she?_

_Dead._

_Rotting beneath the ground._

_You're a failure…you'll never be a good father. He'll grow up just like you – a conceited…rude…arrogant fool. You won't be able to take care of him._

_He's come into this world alone…_

_You won't be there for him when he needs someone. You'll still be crying over your dead wife._

_He'll _hate_ you._

_Why not take the easy way out? No-one says you have to live to see your life fall apart in front of you…why not just end it all?_

_Put an end to the loss…_

_To the defeat…_

_To the pain…_

_You've lost, Draco._

_Checkmate."_

_**

* * *

**_

So how was that, guys? Hope you liked it, and I promise the next chapter will be a little less depressing. Review, please!


	3. Haunted

_**Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, remember to check out my other stories :)**_

_**This chapter is for lowi, thanks for your reviews :D you're awesome!**_

**Wake Up, Angel**

**Chapter Three: Haunted**

Draco awoke from his slumber with a gasp. The deep, growly voice from his dream still echoed around in his head, rung in every squiggle of his brain. He couldn't take this. He was going to go insane – he was sure of it.

"_Where's your angel now?_

_Dead."_

Just those five words penetrated him and made his spine feel as if it was collapsing into a thousand rattling bones. The very image of her haunted him…he couldn't take it any longer.

He may have been in despair – but he was still breathing. Heart, still beating. Blood, still circulating around his body.

He looked around the room for a moment. It took a minute or two for him to recall where he was exactly, and remembered the events of the night one by one.

He wouldn't cry – he refused to shed another tear. He had to be strong, not only for his son, but for himself. Part of her still remained, although it was out of focus. His life would never be the same again.

Draco closed his eyes again, wrapped in his own cocoon of misery and heartache. His eyelids snapped open at the sound of a silvery, smooth voice. His heart started to race, and his body suddenly went stiff. Astoria's voice.

He knew it was impossible, yet he leapt up and looked around…and there she was, stood before him. She looked almost corporeal, but her features were exactly the same. Her skin, porcelain-white, was the same, as was her brown hair, curling around her shoulders. She smiled softly at him.

No.

He was dreaming. He had to be. Either that – or going completely insane. But…this was all too clear to be a dream.

"Hello Draco," she whispered gently.

Her voice…too clear to be a dream.

"I…I thought you were dead. You – you died right in front of me!" he whispered back. "You died in my arms…how can you be here?" he cried.

* * *

Hermione was woken up by the sound of somebody shouting. "You died in my arms…how can you be here?" Draco yelled.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed.

"Huh? What?" He mumbled groggily. He listened for a moment, frowning, before getting out of bed and padding down the hallway. Hermione followed tentatively.

"No, I – this is impossible!" They heard Draco yell again.

Ron barged into the room and saw Draco stood pretty much by himself. "Draco, who are you talking to?"

Draco's breaths were quick, sharp and shallow and there were tears running down from his eyes. "LOOK!" he exploded. "ASTORIA, SHE'S…SHE'S STOOD RIGHT THERE!"

Ron skimmed the room, seeing no sign of another person. "There's no-one else in here, Draco."

"She is stood right in front of us!" Draco managed to say between gasps.

"There's nobody there, look," Ron said, and stretched out his arm to the spot where Draco was pointing and waved it through thin air.

"Stop it! Can't you _see_ her?" Draco said desperately. Ron put his arm round him.

"Look," Ron began, "I know it's hard, losing someone you love. It was like that when…when Fred died." He mumbled. "It'll soon become easier, I promise."

It would never be easier.

Draco wore her memory like a stain, there to stay with him for ever. He'd never forget. Her name would always be written in his heart in gold – after all, he was the one who turned his life around. She made him see the light for the first time. She helped him find who he really was – not just another Malfoy…but a whole other person.

"But I can see her!" Draco looked at Astoria, who looked as real as ever.

Ron studied him for a moment, tilting his head to the side. "Draco, are you…are you sleepwalking or something?"

"No!" he shouted, outraged. "I can see her! Honestly," he whispered. "I just want you to be able to see her too. Tell me you can see her. She is there, I swear she is!"

Ron shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"Astoria, say something! Say something to them, to show them you are here." Draco said, seemingly speaking to thin air.

There was silence. "I don't hear anything." Ron said.

Draco looked at Hermione in desperation. "You…you can see her right?"

"Draco I think you should get some sleep, I think you're seeing things."

"I think she's right, mate. Get some sleep, OK? We'll see you in the morning." Ron nodded and then left the room.

* * *

"How can you be here? Why can't they see you? Why is it just me?" Draco whispered.

"Because," she began, her velveteen voice sending shivers down Draco's spine, "hundreds of years ago, someone died in _this_ room. Nobody knows why, but there is a spell on this room, such dark magic that nobody can remove it. If the owner of the room at the time, so that's you, loses somebody very close to them, they _sort of_ come back to life."

"But only the owner of this room can see them?" Draco double-checked.

She nodded. "That's right. I can only be seen at night, though."

He stared at her for a while, unable to believe she was actually there. He grabbed her and pulled her into the tightest hug he'd ever given her, breathing in her vanilla scent and running his hands through her cascading hair.

"I can't believe you came back!" He muttered as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I never left." She said calmly as Draco's tears dampened the sleeve of her top. "Shhh," she whispered soothingly. "Why are you crying? Everything's all right now!"

Draco pulled away from her and looked into her eyes.

"Because I will never, _ever_ forget that feeling. I can't. I thought you'd gone for _ever_."

"Hey, don't think about that, I'm here now right? That's what it's about. I'm still here, I'm not going anywhere."

A ray of golden light shone through the small gap in the curtains. There was a strong gust of wind and Astoria's body seemed to turn into mist and disappear.

She was gone again. But this time was different

This time ... he _knew _she was coming back…

* * *

**_So did you like it? Drop me a review :D pleeeeeeeeease!_**


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